


The Power of Art

by Prisca



Category: The Faculty (1998)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, yahtzee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 16:36:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14336622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prisca/pseuds/Prisca
Summary: Casey has some secrets he doesn't like to talk about





	The Power of Art

**Author's Note:**

> written for: Get your words out - Yahtzee 2018

Zeke grinned wide when Casey hopped down the wooden stairs of the porch, wearing a colorful and obviously new checkered shirt.

„Your mom again," he asked.

Casey rolled his eyes while dropping down on the passenger's seat of the GTO.  
„I don't have the heart to tell her how much I hate these shirts. Just go, as soon as we are out of sight, I will undress."

„Oh!"

„Shut up. Plain, grey shirt, I hope this will fit your plans this afternoon. You were so mysterious about it."

Zeke laughed.  
„Don't worry, no special dress code needed."  
He pulled over the car at the roadside and turned to his boyfriend for a kiss.  
„Happy belated birthday, geek boy."

„Thanks. I wish you would have been there."

„Oh, not this again, you know, I just can't deal with too much family stuff. And see it the other way around: you can celebrate twice. Muffins at your favorite milkbar, a pizza at Joey's..."

Casey grinned wide.  
„We are going to Akron?"

„Not telling, you geek ass. Surprise."

:::

It was about an hour later when Zeke stopped the GTO at a parking lot near a small gallery in Akron. Casey knew all art galleries near Herrington, the most famous ones and the unknown ones with only a handful of visitors every day; when he had been still the lonely geek of Herrington High he used to spend all his free time here. He had always preferred the smaller galleries because they often exhibited the most interesting artists; newcomer and outsider of the art scene.

Now he didn't find so much time anymore to visit every exhibition, now he had a boyfriend, the hottest one of Ohio and sometimes it still felt like a wonder that Zeke did show any interest in him. Zeke could get every girl, probably every boy, too, gay or not. But he wanted him. They were together for almost five months now, and Casey had started to believe, that maybe all his dreams could come true. A future together with Zeke, in New York, freedom for love and art, a place where people would respect instead of bullying him.

„Hey, geek boy, daydreaming again?"

Zeke's question tore him out of his state of shock. Nervous he licked his lips.  
„The Power of Art, a gallery? What are we doing here?"  
All he could hope for was that Zeke wouldn't notice the trembling in his voice.

But of course, he did; he eyed him suspiciously.  
„There is a very intriguing artist shown at the moment. An old friend I met in the club two weeks ago told me about it. Thought you might be interested in visiting his exhibition."

Casey swallowed hard, god, no, no, no. He wished the earth would open and swallow him up, or zombies would overrun the world, or this afternoon would turn out to be a nightmare, and he would wake up soon in his small but comfy room.

„You don't like to go to boring exhibitions," he murmured.  
„Why this time?"

„Because it's your birthday and because I think that Leo Jackson is everything but boring."

Casey couldn't hide his shock any longer, his eyes filled with tears he bit his lips.  
„I... I don't like him."

„So you do know him? His work? Did you already visit the exhibition?"

„Ähm yeah, I know his photos. And I don't like them. It's... not what I would call art. More an experiment. A waste of time. Can't we go to a movie instead? I've heard, the new one with Bruce Willis is very good."

„Okay!"  
Zeke grabbed his arm and turned him around, forced him to eye contact.  
„Will you tell me what's wrong with you today? You are a strong supporter of free art for everyone and the last one who turns an artist down just because he's not willing to follow the conventional way.

I don't know much about art, but I do like the work of Leo Jackson. He's not trying to hide who he is. I bet, in San Francisco or New York he would be a star in the gay scene."

„Oh, good god!"  
Enraged Casey broke away from Zeke.  
„This will never happen, okay? I will ask them to close this fucking exhibition and burn all the pictures. It was a stupid idea anyway."

„Whoa."  
Zeke blinked and needed a moment to let all this information sink in. Did he get anything wrong? Had Casey just told him...  
„Wait. Give me a moment, okay? Leo Jackson..."

„Don't you get it? He never existed. It's just a ridiculous pseudonym."  
Casey smirked.  
„Leo, Leo DiCaprio. Jackson, Peter Jackson. I was so shocked when Kelly asked me for an artist name that I couldn't think clearly."

So it was true. Casey was... no one else but Leo Jackson?! The guy who made the most interesting gay art Zeke had ever seen? Okay, he had always known that his boyfriend was a talented photographer, but this was indeed a surprise.  
„Kelly?!"

„The owner of the Power of Art, friend of mine."  
For a moment Casey had to close his eyes, he looked pale but calm, when he opened them again as if he had finally accepted his fate.  
„I've felt flattered when he told me that he would like to make an exhibition of the photos, so I agreed. Just for fun. I haven't thought that someone would be interested in them. But Kelly has already gotten price requests for some photos, and a scene newspaper wants a short interview. 

Everything gets out of control. The thought already drove me crazy for a while, that someone I know might find out the truth behind Leo Jackson. My parents would hate me. And Stokes... and Stan... And now this! The last I ever wanted was **you** to see these pics."

"I don't hate you, Casey. Why should I?"  
Zeke smirked slightly.  
„I'm your boyfriend, remember, we are fucking each other. No need to hide your gay dreams from me."

Casey blushed involuntarily.  
„That's different. I've never planned to take pictures like this. Kelly has a little photo studio, I use now and then. One day there was this other guy, I don't even know his name. First, it was only a joke, but then it took on a life on its own. God, I don't know what has gotten into me, I should have known better."

„Hey, relax a bit, okay."  
Zeke laughed slightly.  
"There is nothing you need to regret. These pictures are art, brilliant art. Honest. They show us like we are, not only thinking about sex monster but normal people with dreams and wishes of love and nearness. 

No need to hide or even to burn them. Be proud of them, be proud of what you are. I can understand that you don't want the big coming out, not yet, not here, in good old Ohio, but no one will ever figure out that the hot insider tip Leo Jackson is no one else but you. Not even I did. But when I saw the photos for the first time, I thought, that I would like to get to know the artist, talk with him about the deeper meaning of the one or the other photo."

Casey kept quiet for a while, finally he smiled; not the usual hilarious smile, but at least a smile.  
„I'm glad that you know about it now. It got more and more difficult not to tell you. I hate it to have a secret like this from the people I love."

„Well, then maybe it might be time, to be honest, and tell your parents, too? Stan, Stokes, your friends. I know, they all would never judge you. Because they love you. Like I do."  
His voice almost a whisper, his brown eyes so mischievous.

„Don't do that."  
Casey rolled his eyes.  
„Don't flirt with me like that in public; you know what this is doing to me."

Zeke laughed.  
„Wanna go back home?"

„Oh. You are looking for a way to avoid a visit to the exhibition? No chance. Let's go inside, I want to hear your opinion about the one or the other photo." 

His eyes sparkled, as ever when he was talking about his photography and Zeke knew he was back to himself.

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: honest


End file.
